December 2018 10 At $18 in the 1800s, very few working cowboys could afford a state-of-the-art Colt 45 caliber Single Action revolver. In actual fact, very few carried a sidearm of any sort when working. It would just be in the way, especially when roping. Also, anyone that has tried shooting one will tell you it takes a lot of steady practice with a handgun to achieve accuracy beyond about 20 feet and ammunition was expensive. Cowboys were paid to work, not practice shooting. Cattle baron, Charles Goodnight, would fire a man for swearing, playing cards, or carrying a gun while on the job. He said, ”You’re here to work not fight and nothing contributes to fighting quicker than these 3 things.” That’s still true on most jobs today. The “Colt’s Single Action Army” is called that because it was designed on an army contract that specified 45 calibers. When the army adopted the 1911 ACP (Automatic Colt’s Pistol) they dumped all their Single Action Army models on the civilian market as army surplus and Hollywood movie property companies snatched them up for $3 to $5 each. That’s why all movie cowboys carry one. Most civilians that could afford the single action Colt actually preferred it in 44 caliber. Town Marshall’s in the 1800’s did not wear cowboy hats and pointy-toed boots with low slung holsters tied down to their leg. (The tie-down is strictly Hollywood.) Law officers were townspeople, not cowboys. With cowboys in the old west outnumbered 500 to 1, the derby hat (or bowler) was far more popular. Typical clothing for a Victorian-era lawman was a white linen shirt, a string tie and what is referred to today as a suit coat. His hat would either be a derby or one similar to Indiana Jones’ fedora. Pointy-toed boots were “invented” by rodeo cowboys in the 1940’s. Bank robbers, train robbers, and stagecoach robbers did not wear chaps. Chaps were only worn when a working cowboy needed some kind of protection for his legs such as heavy brush, cold weather, or rain. They were commonly worn in the branding pen especially when castrating as many a blood-spattered pair can still attest to. A rare few were, but generally speaking most cowboys were not all-around good horsemen any more than driving a car on the daily commute makes someone an all-around automotive expert. They could stay aboard anything that had hair, hooves, and could whinney and could good get a hard day’s work out of any jug-headed, flea-bitten, piece of crow bait they were handed but, a good horseman is a lot more than a good rider. The majority of cowboys simply manhandled a horse and did whatever was necessary to get the job done. The horse belonged to the ranch and he was paid to use it to do the job. He used the ranch’s horse much the same as the average construction worker uses his boss’ pickup truck. Not all cowboys were white Anglos. About 25 percent were black. It’s also been estimated that 1 out of every 3 cowboys was Mexican. A good number of Native Americans also became cowboys. Apparently, only about half the cowboys were white Anglos. In the 1800’s Stetson originated what came to be known as the “cowboy hat”. It had what is called an open crown. In other words, there was no fancy special crease in the crown. It was simply dome-shaped and the brim was as flat as a pancake. By the manner in which a man put the hat on and took it off, it would eventually end up with some sort of a generally recognizable type of “crease”. Hat makers noticed this and came up with the pre-creased hats we see today that loosely fit many of the shapes that a hat back then might end up with. And, of course, hat makers can charge a little more for the hat. It might sound like I’m a little hard on the popular movie version of the American cowboy but, please don’t take me wrong. I’m a devoted cowboy fan and will buy a ticket or rent a video to watch a good western movie the same as anyone else. It’s darned good entertainment. It’s just that I know the difference between the “real” cowboy and the fictional “reel” cowboy. However, I tend to lean more toward the real old-time working cowboy’s history. Others, like my good friend, Charlie LeSueur, favor the history of the Hollywood version. Both have a fascinating history. INTERESTING COWBOY FACTS – Part 2 By Cowboy Historian Lee Anderson Living Historian and author Lee Anderson and his horse, Concho, are well known around the state doing presentations in schools, corporate events, and civic events. Learn more about them and his book on his website. historicaloldwest.org IN STOCK OR SPECIAL ORDER Locally Owned & Operated Since 1995 Wehaveagreatselectionofpowerand liftrecliners,formenandwomen! OpenMonday-Saturday10am-5pm•ClosedSunday 623-486-0333 15472 N. 99th Ave. Suite 3 • Sun City, AZ 85351 15420 N. 99th Ave. • Sun City, AZ 85351